Governor Northam's COVID-19 Briefing - 2/17/2021
FORWARD VIRGINIA
- Starting next Monday, the number of spectators allowed at an outdoor sporting event will increase to 250.
- All spectators are still required to remain socially distanced and use face coverings.
- Governor Northam says that children will be able to attend overnight summer camps this summer, and that other outdoor events will be able to happen.
- The Northam administration is working with stakeholders to ensure that these events can happen safely during the summer months.
- Safety measures will remain in place “for the foreseeable future”, even for those who have already been vaccinated.
- Hand washing, social distancing, and mask wearing are still important and effective measures against the virus.
VACCINE LOGISTICS
- An average of 34,000 shots are being given each day.
- We are getting closer to the goal of 50,000 shots per day, and are ready to achieve that number, as soon as adequate supply is available.
- Governor Northam today signed new, emergency legislation to allow more medical professionals to administer shots.
- This includes dentists, medical students, and others.
- The bill also requires vaccinators to collect race and ethnicity data.
- This is an important step in ensuring equity in the vaccine distribution process
VACCINE REGISTRATION
- The new, centralized pre-registration website (vaccinate.virginia.gov) was launched yesterday.
- During peak hours, the website was receiving 300 registrations per minute.
- 240,000 Virginians have signed up to be vaccinated since the launch.
- Today, a dedicated call center is being launched. Virginians can call 877-829-4682 to speak to one of the 750 new employees that staff the center, and receive information about the vaccine, or get help with pre-registration.
- The call center will currently prioritize people over the age of 75, and those who do not speak English.
- Data from the local health departments has been imported into the new system, meaning that those who have already pre-registered do not need to register again.
- The website offers information on which people are currently qualified to receive the vaccine, as well as allowing all Virginians to pre-register.
- Those who pre-register will receive periodic update emails, informing them of when they are able to book an actual appointment.
VACCINE DISTRIBUTION
- Virginia has been receiving about 130,000 first doses per week from the federal government.
- This is an increase from last month, but still does not meet demand.
- The Biden administration announced this week that more doses will now be allocated to the states.
- 1.4 million total doses have been administered.
- 12.4% of Virginians have received their first dose.
- This puts Virginia 12th in the country for vaccine distribution.
- 87% of the doses received have been administered.
- This ranks Virginia 7th in the country for available vaccine usage.
SCHOOL RE-OPENINGS
- Schools have responded well to Governor Northam’s request that they present plans for in-person learning by March 15.
- All but a few schools have presented plans already, and are continuing to prepare for in-person learning in the spring and summer.
COVID-19 CASES, STATISTICS AND MODELING
- Total cases: 555,592
- New in the last 24 hours: 2,284
- Total deaths: 7,0375